WWF-Canada Gift Guide: Six endangered species for adoption

These six endangered species may be hard to find in the wild, but you can bring them home for the holidays with a symbolic adoption. By adopting one as a gift, you’re contributing to WWF-Canada’s efforts to protect our planet’s animals and the habitats they call home.

Take home our rarest adoption species:

1. Southern resident killer whale

The orcas of the Salish Sea are icons of the Pacific coast. This small population now numbers just 74 whales and their survival is threatened by a shortage of Chinook salmon, contaminant pollution, and underwater noise. By adopting an orca, you are supporting our work to protect Canada’s oceans for wildlife.

2. Bumblebee

It’s the little things that matter most when it comes to preserving our planet’s biodiversity — like bees! There are approximately 250 bumblebee species around the world, and they can be found everywhere from the Arctic tundra to deserts and forests. Due to climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide use, declines in bee populations are just as widespread with several species listed as endangered. With your symbolic adoption, you’re helping restore habitat for bees and other essential pollinators.

3. Tiger

The largest of all Asian big cats, the tiger is one of the most revered animals in the world. It is threatened, however, by habitat loss, poaching, retributive killing, and climate change. The good news is that the countries with tiger populations have pledged to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. And the measures to increase the tiger population are working — the number rose from 3,200 in 2010 to around 3,900 in 2016. But much work remains to be done.

4. Beluga

Beloved by generations of kids who grew up on Raffi’s “Baby Beluga” song, these white whales on the go are facing increasing challenges, including climate change and industrial activity in their habitats. Some Canadian populations, including the St. Lawrence estuary belugas, are . Your symbolic adoption will help WWF-Canada fight to secure the long-term survival of beluga whales and other wildlife.

5. Red panda (sold out)

Slightly larger than a domestic cat, the endangered red panda shares many characteristics with the giant panda, including its name, but it isn’t actually related. Poaching, along with a loss of nesting trees and bamboo, have led red panda populations to decline by 50 per cent in less than two decades. Adopting a red panda means helping control deforestation and the illegal wildlife trade, as well as supporting other conservation projects.

6. Ring-tailed lemur

These unique primates are only found on the African island Madagascar. Named for the alternating black and white bands adorning its furry tail, the ring-tailed lemur is probably the most well-known of the 101 lemur species — and one of the most endangered. Your symbolic adoption supports WWF-Canada’s conservation efforts in Canada and abroad to protect at risk wildlife and their habitats.

Don’t miss out on these meaningful gifts

Canada Post is experiencing high parcel volumes and has implemented important COVID-19 safety measures in their processing facilities which can result in shipping delays. Please order well before Dec. 13 for holiday delivery.

For more great gift ideas that change the world, visit wwf.ca/shop.